


Beauty Behind the Specs

by wooperskai



Category: TWICE (Band)
Genre: Alternate Universe - High School, F/F, Fluff, Humor, Romance, Slow Burn
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2018-05-06
Updated: 2019-01-25
Packaged: 2019-05-03 06:51:50
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 7
Words: 18,763
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/14563404
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/wooperskai/pseuds/wooperskai
Summary: Student Vice-President Mina isn't very fond of the nerdy new transfer student, Hirai Momo. From horrible fashion sense to terrible posture, Momo's existence irked Mina more than she is willing to admit because she couldn't help but notice every single detail about Momo as her eyes seemed to automatically search for Momo's presence in the hallways.Soon enough, Mina learns that Momo isn't what she appears to be.





	1. The Transfer Student

**Author's Note:**

> Hello! I'm the same SummerSkai that's on AFF where this fic was originally posted. I decided to post the fic here as well in case some people don't like to use AFF.

At Park Youngjin's All-Girls Academy, the students were returning from winter vacation, still having withdrawals from their Lunar New Year celebrations festivities yet the halls were still buzzing with excitement as endless chatter and laughter echoed off the walls. The first day of the second semester ended in a blink of an eye and soon teachers dismissed their students for the day. Of course, there were exceptions and those exceptions were girls that participated in extracurricular activities and organizations.

Myoui Mina was one of those girls.

School Vice-President. Studies ballet at JYP Studios (one of the most prestigious dance schools in Seoul) since she was 5 years old and was arguably the best in the ballerina department. Within the Top 5 students with the highest GPA in her year. Naturally part of the popular crowd.

All of the above barely scratched the surface of what defined Myoui Mina. She was beautiful, graceful, kind, and one of the most sought after girls in the school because somehow the Japanese beauty was still single.

 

* * *

 

After freshening up in the bathroom, Mina entered the student council room and took her usual seat beside Minatozaki Sana, the current Student Council President, who was talking excitedly to the council's Secretary and Treasurer, Park Jihyo. Both turned and greeted her with vibrant smiles which she returned equally as vibrant, flashing her trademark gummy smile.

The three were good friends and chatted among themselves until the rest of the members walked in. Despite her very cute appearance and bubbly personality, Sana's leadership and authority were never questioned by anyone and she was respected among her peers; Mina was no exception. The meeting went smoothly, mostly discussing the annual spring festival in May clubs would showcase what they're all about and recruit members for the following year, various activities ranging from talent shows and plays, and of course, catering for food. It was a 3-day event that all students looked forward to as a reward for their studying.

"So that wraps up this week's meeting. We'll talk more about the Spring Festival next week but we also have to plan events for the rest of the year. Meeting is adjourned!" Sana grinned and waved off members of the student council as everyone packed up their belongings. 

Mina walked between Jihyo and Sana as the three of them were making their way to the subway station when Sana nudged her shoulder with her own. "Hey, girls! I heard from Sunye-sunsaengnim that we'll be getting a transfer student in our homeroom starting tomorrow! We've never had a new student show up in the middle of the school year before."

"Really? That really is a surprise. I wonder why she didn't start today," Mina commented, humming thoughtfully to herself with pressed lips.

"Probably paperwork or transcript error. You know, the usual stuff," Sana suggested with a shrug but then smiled. "But get this. I heard she's Japanese! What are the odds?"

Jihyo couldn't help but laugh, shaking her head slowly. "Seriously. We're going to have three Japanese students in one homeroom, namely ours? It's kind of funny. I wonder what she's like."

Mina hummed again. "I wonder what she's like too."

 

* * *

 

The news about the transfer student spread like wildfire by the time Mina arrived to homeroom. It didn't surprise her considering this was an all-girls school and girls had a terrible habit of gossiping.

"Alright, girls. Settle down," Sunye sunsaengnim hollered over the class which quickly died down from her command. Sunye cleared her throat before speaking again. "It's clear to me you all have heard we have a new transfer student. I trust that you all will make her feel welcome to help her adjust to a new environment." She paused once more and turned to the open door with a smile. "You can come in now. Don't be shy."

Mina watched as a girl with thick-rimmed glasses, a bob haircut adorned with a simple white headband, and a large blackpack entered the room, looking meek and hesitant from her posture. The girl already looked so lost, it was almost painful to watch. The girl has yet to say a word and the class was already whispering things about her. Sunye clapped several times for silence. "Go ahead and introduce yourself to the class."

The new girl's eyes darted to every part of the room except anyone's eyes and she tightly gripped the straps of her backpack. "M-My name is Momo. Hirai Momo."

"What did she say? She was so quiet."

"I think she said her name was Momo? What kind of name is that...?"

"Look how thick her glasses are."  
  
Mina heard her classmates whisper (not so quietly, she might add) about Momo, her eyes then flickered to Sana who sat two seats away from her right.

" _Momo? Like 'peach'_?" Sana mouthed to her. It made sense to them since "momo" meant "peach" in Japanese.

Mina only shrugged in response before turning her attention back to the new girl. The more she looked at Momo, Mina could feel herself getting more and more annoyed. 

Momo's terrible posture bothered her.

Momo's headband that was 7 year old fashion bothered her.

Momo's large book-filled backpack bothered her.

The painfully awkward smile Momo gave her when they made eye contact bothered her.

 

In short, everything about Hirai Momo was irritating Mina.


	2. Constantly Flustered

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> For future reference, dialogue in italics is spoken in Japanese.

 

As soon as class ended, Mina swiftly packed up her belongings to find Sana and Jihyo walk over to her desk, knowing why they approached her and nodded. The three of them were the top representatives of the student council so they had to set good examples and be good role models for the rest of the students. They were the ones who assisted the faculty with freshman orientation and planned out activities for those entering the academy and help them adjust to their new school life while also making things fun and engaging. Transfer students were no exception to this, which is why she knew the reason why Sana and Jihyo came over to her was because it was their duty to help the new girl in their class feel welcomed, and that they would welcome her together.

Still, Mina wasn't too thrilled this time around because she was worried it would be obvious on her expression that her greetings wouldn't be genuine but there was no way out, especially since she was vice-president.

The three of them gathered around Momo's desk, who was in the middle of putting away her composition notebook and her pencil pouch back into her large backpack. The spectacled girl looked up and blinked in confusion to the company that surrounded her desk. Before she could speak, Sana beat her to it and began speaking in Japanese. " _Are you comfortable speaking in Korean? Or are you not proficient in the language yet to speak casually to others?_ "

Momo shook her head slowly, answering back in Korean rather than her native tongue. "My Korean is advanced enough for me to speak comfortably."

"That's good to hear." Sana released a sigh of relief and smiled warmly, gesturing to her friends. "I'm Sana and this is Mina and Jihyo. We're members of the student council here to welcome you to Park Youngjin's All-Girls Academy and to tell you to not be afraid to approach us if you have any questions."

"You must have good luck to share homeroom with us, not to mention with the academy's other two Japanese students," Jihyo added, also smiling.

Mina forced her lips to curl upwards into a smile of her own when Jihyo's words caused Momo's eyes to land on her. "You're Japanese as well?" Momo asked her.

"Yes," was Mina's simple reply, feeling her cheeks tighten unnaturally as she maintained her smile.

"I see. Thank you for welcoming me. I appreciate it." Momo bowed her head at each of them and grinned in a goofy manner in Mina's eyes. Sana and Jihyo talked a little more to Momo while Mina watched them silently from Sana's right, her facade of a smile still plastered on her features until the warning bell rang, signalling to the girls it was time for their next class. As they parted ways in the hallway, Sana and Jihyo began to walk while Mina took a moment to pause and frown at Momo's backside, mentally jabbing at the new girl's posture once more. That's when Momo turned around and Mina couldn't help but panic if she actually said her thoughts aloud. But the worry soon faded as Momo gave her another dumb-looking smile and a shy wave, posture _still_ terrible, that caught her off-guard and swiftly turned her back to Momo to hide the fact the smile flustered her.

 

* * *

 

"Are you sure you're alright, Mina?" Sana asked for the nth time.

"I swear that I am," Mina insisted to her friends who gave her looks saying they didn't believe her claim. It was lunch time and the three of them were enjoying their packed lunches at their usual table inside the cafeteria. Mina mentally cursed herself that she's letting Momo get to her this much that it was _seriously_ annoying the hell out of her, and the girl wasn't even trying. All the new girl was doing was standing there, breathing there, and just _existing_ and it was affecting Mina to the point her friends could visibly see how stressed she was. Sana and Jihyo have known her since middle school so both were aware of her usual behavior and mannerisms. She is usually calm, collected, and rational no matter the circumstances yet here she was with a shattered composure since earlier.

"Whatever you say, Minari," Jihyo said, unconvinced, but digressed to a different topic when she caught Momo in the corner of her eye sitting at a distant table with two other girls wearing glasses as well. "At least the new transfer student appears to be doing fine."

Sana and Mina followed the secretary's gaze, to which Sana nodded in approval. "Im Nayeon and Kim Dahyun. Sweet girls. Seems like they're getting along well."

The moment those words left Sana's mouth, a small group of girls pass by them, uttering insults that were blatantly directed towards Momo's table. Mina wasn't exactly fond of Momo either but she wouldn't go so far as to insult her and her appearance loud enough for anyone to hear, and despite what she thought of the new girl, she couldn't deny that Momo was kind. "Should we do something about those girls?" Mina asked Sana.

"Nothing for now... Those girls are notorious for bad-mouthing other students but other than that, they're harmless. But if they try anything, then that's when we step in," Sana answered with conviction.

Mina and Jihyo nodded in agreement before all three of them returned to eating their food.

 

* * *

 

Mina thought that since Momo had found friends and appeared to be bonding with them just fine that she would forget about the spectacled girl and revert back to normal... but how wrong she was. She must have done something to anger fate or destiny or whatever higher power that made her continuously run into Momo the entire week, which only made Mina more flustered, more exasperated, and more annoyed every time she saw Momo's face. Of course, Momo was oblivious to Mina's suffering and continued to to greet the vice-president in her usual quiet voice with her usual awkward, dumb smile.

It was normal to see the transfer student in class. It was unavoidable considering they shared homeroom together. However, the encounters gradually grew more absurd. Mina saw Momo in the halls every time she went from Calculus to History. She even took alternate routes and either Momo was a mind reader that was subtly stalking her or she was simply unlucky. She discovered that they took the same train home because their homes were in the same neighborhood (Mina would wake up extra early so there was absolutely no chance that Momo would be the first person she'd see in the morning). The most ridiculous encounter thus far was when Mina was using the restroom and unbeknownst to her, Momo was in the stall beside her and they both exited their respective stalls at the same time. Momo found it funny while Mina had to force out her own laughter to hide her unamusement. 

At first, Sana and Jihyo questioned why Mina looked so distraught these days but eventually gave up when Mina kept on lying that she was a-okay and hiding her mental suffering because the last thing she wanted Sana and Jihyo to know was that out of all people, it was Momo who was the source of her sanity crumbling and she barely finished her first week at the academy. Not that Mina knew what to say in her defense if she had to tell her friends because even she was uncertain as to why Momo's existence bothered her this greatly, and yes, Mina knew she was being ridiculous herself.

Lately, Mina's favorite period was being a TA, grading paperwork and doing delivery work for the office. She hugged the manila folder of documents close to her chest and walked towards the main office to file away papers in her arms. Just as she turned the corner, she felt a full force of body mass collide into her, a forehead smacking into her forehead, and both of them fell to the ground. Mina groaned loudly in pain and cupped her forehead as she slowly sat up, already dreading to look at the identity of the person that ran into her.

_Don't tell me it's her..._

The familiar bobbed haircut of Hirai Momo appeared within view as the other girl also sat up. groaning in pain.

_Oh, for fuck's sake―_

"Not to be cliche but you should know that there's no running in the halls," Mina flatly chastised the other with a sigh while picking up her folder of documents, thankful she had paperclipped everything together before leaving the classroom. She stood up and offered a free hand to Momo when she noticed that the impact knocked off the transfer student's glasses. But Momo didn't seem to notice the absence of her glasses and grabbed Mina's hand with a smile as she hoistered herself back to her feet, rubbing the back of her neck sheepishly and stood in front of Mina. Mina couldn't help but notice how rough Momo's hand felt considering how feeble and fragile Momo appeared to be.

"I'm sorry... I forgot my textbook for my next class in my locker so I was trying to hurry and grab it before Min sunsaengnim got even more mad at me," Momo apologized sincerely, giving Mina puppy dog eyes.

It was the first time Mina stood this close to Momo. The latter was a tad taller than her but not by much. Momo's close proximity made it easy for her to spot new details about the new transfer student that was impossible not to notice.

Momo's eyelashes were long and prettily curled with nicely shaped eyebrows.

She wore a shade of pink lip tint that accented her lips rather nicely.

Her skin was _flawless_ , void of any acne or blemishes, and looked so soft to the touch.

In short, Mina couldn't help but find Hirai Momo rather pretty. Who knew that this face was hiding a pair of extremely thick-rimmed glasses?

That's when Mina noticed the specs still laying on the floor, bent down to pick them up, and looked at the glasses before handing them back to their owner. "Here. As long as you don't do it again, alright?"

"I promise it won't," Momo assured her and took her glasses back to slip them back on. "Are you okay though? I hope your forehead doesn't hurt too bad... I'd feel really bad if it did."

Mina shook her head. "I'm okay, Momo. Go ahead and return to your class." Momo nodded and began to giggle softly to herself, earning her a confused look from Mina. "What is it? Why are you laughing?"

"It's nothing, really," Momo answered with a broad grin. "It's just that was the first time you've ever said my name." Momo's honest answer (once again) caught Mina off-guard that she was speechless and certain that her cheeks were flushed but Momo seemed to pay no mind and waved her off. "I'm going to my locker now. Bye Mina!"

Mina could only watch in silence as Momo briskly walked away, clutching her folder tightly. She thought that Momo was the type of person to read, so easy to dissect, but now she isn't so sure and it has unfortunately piqued her interest. Her mind flashed back to when she picked up Momo's glasses from the tiled floor and realized she could see perfectly through the glasses. As she resumed her walk to the office, Mina was lost in thought and hummed with brow furrowed while she contemplated the one question on her mind about Hirai Momo:

Why would Momo wear fake glasses?


	3. Who is Hirai Momo?

It was ironic that less than 24 hours ago Mina hoped that fate would intervene so she would stop crossing paths with Momo so frequently outside of homeroom but after yesterday, the vice-president had to stop herself from glancing at the new student every chance she could. In class, Momo sat a couple rows behind her to her left and would sometimes pretend to knock off a mechanical pencil or eraser just to shift in her seat to see what Momo was doing, even if it was only for a split second, before picking up whatever she dropped and facing forward. It was a silly habit she had to eventually stop when her neighboring classmates teased her at how often she had begun dropping her belongings from her desk saying that she was getting to Sana's level of clumsiness and that was something Mina never wanted to reach.

On the topic of clumsiness, Mina noticed that Momo was clumsy herself (or maybe she was paying too much attention to Momo than she'd like to admit). The spectacled girl would often trip over her shoelaces because she failed to notice they were untied. There were times, three to be exact, that Mina watched Momo's face collide with the classroom door when she came in late with each time Mina had to stifle and hold back her laughter. Momo would forget to zip up her backpack which caused the her notebooks and textbooks to fall out. Momo refused to wait to open her canned soda when the machine dispensed the drink and was violently sprayed with carbonated liquid. Momo had accidently spilled water on her homework seconds before handing it in (it was a wonder Sunye sunsaengnim even accepted the drenched piece of paper that was somehow still legible). Sometimes, Momo would trip over nothing and fall onto her knees in the hallway.

It was almost ridiculous to witness these acts of clumsiness and slight stupidity, it almost made Mina worry about the poor girl. Jihyo shared her sentiments but Sana was having a kick out of it, probably delighted that there was someone as clumsy as her, perhaps even more clumsy than Sana by that point. 

"Should you really be laughing, Sana? You're the president and have an image to uphold," Jihyo chided, pointing out Sana's behavior.

"I'm sorry. I'm sorry. I can't help it. I know I shouldn't be laughing but how can you not smile at least? She has this sort of charm whenever she's clumsy, it's almost endearing. I should thank her for making my days a bit brighter," Sana casually commented with a laugh.

Mina silently agreed with her friend.

The following afternoon once the students were dismissed for the day, Mina was putting away her things in her locker and out of the corner of her eye, she could see Momo's familiar bobbed haircut and saw she was walking and chatting with Nayeon and Dahyun (she had recently accepted that it was going to be impossible to avoid Momo). Although she was facing the inside of her locker, the spectacled trio were close enough for Mina to eavesdrop on.

"Honestly, Momo. This is the third time this week that you've misplaced your glasses." Mina heard Nayeon sigh exasperately. "You're lucky you have me and Dahyun to come to your rescue."

"If it wasn't for me guiding you till we found them, I'm sure you would have walked into open lockers and doors all day," Dahyun laughed and playfully poked at Momo's upper arm.

"Believe me when I say I'm eternally grateful for you two. I'm aware that I'm a danger to myself." Momo joined in on the laughter and placed her arms around Dahyun and Nayeon while wearing a big grin. "Without my glasses, I'm blind as a bat."

Mina's ears perked at Momo's last words just as the three of them walked away, closing her locker and observing Momo a moment longer. Blind? Mina knew those glasses were fake and were all for show so why would Momo lie about her vision? She assumed Momo's eyesight was good enough for her to see in class since she was seated towards the back. either that or Momo secretly wore contacts behind the fake specs. The more Mina dwelled on the question, it started to occur to her that maybe Momo's lack of finesse was all an act, that she also wasn't as clumsy as she was letting everyone else believe. If that was the case, Momo was quite the actress and was deceiving everyone, Mina included if she never noticed the detail about Momo's glasses. She wondered what could be Momo's motive for her to hide her true self like this.

Suddenly, Momo became an enigma, a mystery, in Mina's eyes and she not help but be even more curious and intrigued by Hirai Momo.

 

* * *

 

"Hey, Mina. Do you mind doing me a favor and dropping this form off at Sohee sunsaengnim's office?" Sana approached her with hands pressed together and a head bow. "The video game club has enough members and signatures to start up the club and they simply need her approval. I'd do it myself but I have a meeting to go to and I can't miss it."

Mina took the form and glanced over it before giving a nod. "Of course. I hope you'll have enough time to eat lunch."

"Silly, Minari. I should be saying that to you. I really hate to trouble you," Sana chuckled and patted Mina's shoulders gently.

The nickname placed a smile on Mina's lips. Sana did have her own clumsy moments and at first glance you don't expect much from her, but there was a reason why Sana won the election to be the Student Council President. She was well-liked among students and staff alike, hard-working and reliable, and gentle and kind. Much like Mina and Jihyo, Sana was considered part of the "popular" crowd by others, that never stopped Sana from speaking with students that weren't considered popular. To the three of them, the term "popular" was just a label others gave them and never thought much of their popularity and Jihyo commented that that's probably the reason why the three of them won their respective positions on the council. "You're not troubling me at all, Sana-yah. This won't take nearly long to finish unlike your meeting. Go on. You don't want to be late."

"You're the best, Mina! I promise to make it up to you!"

Sana gave Mina a quick, bear hug then jogged off while Mina went the opposite direction. Sohee was the teacher that managed all the clubs in the academy and for any club to be officially recognized by the academy, it had to meet all the necessary requirements then be approved by Sohee. Her office was located in the east building so Mina decided to get some sunshine and took the outdoor path. On her way, Mina heard giggling and a voice she knew all too well coming from behind a shed that contained gym and sports equipment. Mina watched the scene unfold from a distance with Momo standing in front of three girls, the same girls who had a bad reputation in bad-mouthing others.

"I'm asking nicely. Please don't bully Nayeon and Dahyun anymore," Momo spoke seriously with an unwavering gaze that Mina could see even from where she stood. 'They've done nothing to you."

"Look at this nerd, telling us what to do when she hasn't even been at the academy for a month," the girl with blonde hair sneered.

"She doesn't know her place," the tallest of the three commented with disdain.

A girl with long brown hair past her shoulders and bangs, appearing to be the leader, stood directly in front of Momo and looked down at her wearing a crooked, amused smile. "I will say you are quite bold and you certainly have bold claims because what makes you think we're bullying your friends? We've done nothing."

"Purposely shoving or pushing them when you walk past them in the hallways isn't nothing." Momo stood her ground, clenching a fist.

"Ah, but do you have proof this happened and do you have proof it was on purpose?" the girl countered with a smug look. Momo said nothing but gritted her teeth in frustration and took several steps toward her, which annoyed the brunette that she aggressively pushed Momo away with enough force for Momo to fall backwards onto the ground. "Get away from me, you fucking nerd." Her two friends snickered condescendingly at Momo who groaned in pain.

Mina couldn't silent watch any more and stepped forward.

"That is enough."

All four girls whipped their heads as Mina approached them with a stone-cold look and narrowed eyes directed at the three girls. The brunette smirked and tucked some of her hair behind her ear. "Well, well. If it isn't Vice President Myoui Mina, gracing us with her presence."

"Choi Yuna," Mina said flatly.

"You know you can call me Yuju." Mina's eyes narrowed to slits when Yuju cupped her chin and tilted her head upwards so their eyes met. "My offer from last semester still stands, you know. I'm really interested in you so why not stop playing hard to get and go out with me, hm?"

Mina could feel Momo's eyes on her but she doesn't not flinch and swatted Yuju's hand away and took a step back. "And my answer is still no. If you don't want me reporting you to your homeroom teacher, I suggest you stop bullying the new transfer student." The moment Yuju opened her mouth, Mina lifted up her phone and began playing a video of what just happened, ending with Yuju shoving Momo to the ground accompanied by laughter. "I have proof so don't even try." Mina's eyes flickered to the other girls. "I'd also report you two as well... Kim Sojung. Jung Yerin. You two aren't innocent either."

Yuju, Sojung, and Yerin looked to each other in silence for several moments until Yuju nodded reluctantly and lifted both hands up in defeat. "You got us. Fair enough, Myoui. We'll stop. Come on, girls." Before walking away completely, Yuju stopped at Mina's side and leaned in close and whispered into her ear that Mina had to force herself not to shudder. "I haven't given up on you yet, Mina."

Mina exhaled loudly when they finally left then turned to Momo and offered her hand, smiling softly. "Here. Are you alright?"

Blinking slowly, Momo smiled back and took Mina's hand, pulling herself up and patted the dust off her skirt. "Yeah, I am. Thank you. You really helped me out back there."

"I'm glad I was here. I was on my way to drop off some papers when I heard the commotion. You should be careful around them. They look pretty but have nasty personalities. It's a wonder how some of the students fawn over them," Mina remarked. "If they cause trouble for you or your friends again, let us or a teacher know immediately so we can take appropriate action."

"I promise to keep that in mind. Thank you again for coming to my rescue." Momo bowed 90 degrees and began to walk away. Mina noticed the scratches on Momo's elbows and that she was bleeding, reaching out and grabbing Momo's arm on impulse. The latter turning her head with a surprised look. "Mina?"

Mina felt her cheeks growing warm but ignored the feeling in her chest, eyes flickering towards Momo's elbows, unable to meet the large, round eyes of Hirai Momo that was gazing directly at her through those fake thick-rimmed glasses she wore. "You're hurt," she spoke quietly although her grasp on Momo's forearm was still firm.

"Ah.. Yeah. I am. It stings a little but I'll be fine," Momo insisted and waved off Mina's concern with a hand and flashed her a goofy grin.

In the back of her mind, Mina should have ended the conversation and let Momo go. She had done her duty as a member of the student council and Momo said she was fine so everything was good, right? Yet Mina didn't want Momo to walk away or to stop talking to Momo or stop listening to the way Momo said her name or stop feeling the smooth softness of Momo's skin under her fingertips. So instead, Mina shook her head and looked right into Momo's eyes that swirled with surprise and confusion.

"No, you're not. Come on, I'm going to patch those wounds right up."

Without waiting for the other girl's reply, Mina began gently tugging Momo towards the infirmary. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Don't hate me for for making the members of Gfriend minor antagonists in the story! I'm a big fan of them as well (Yuju is my bias).


	4. Labels

At the school infirmary, Mina led the injured Momo to sit on one of the beds while she retrieved the first-aid kid from the cabinet that was above the nurse’s desk. The nurse seemed to be on lunch break which left the two girls alone. Mina took a seat beside Momo and opened the kit, rummaging through to bring out a few alcohol pads and band-aids.

“Here. Let me see your left elbow first. It’s bleeding more than the other,” Mina said quietly and kept her eyes focused on the scratched and damanged skin, ripping open an alcohol pad to gently dab on the wound. She could feel Momo’s eyes burning into her and she vehemently tried to ignore the fluttering butterflies in her stomach.

“Ow! It really stings!” Momo whined as Mina continued to clean her wound.

“Hold still. I’m not finished,” Mina instructed lightly. When she was finished, she placed a band-aid large enough to cover the cuts then turned her attention to Momo’s other injured elbow. “Alright… now for your right.”

The only response she received was another whine from Momo followed by several more ow’s and cries.

Several more minutes passed and Momo was all patched up. Mina leaned back to give Momo a good look and had to hold back a fit of laughter that was threatening to escape from the back of her throat. She found the latter’s appearance to be akin to an elementary child that got injured while playing carelessly on the playground, since both of her elbows were covered in large, adhesive patches. The only thing she was missing was a band-aid under her chin to complete the image in her mind. “See? That wasn’t so bad, was it?” Mina chuckled while putting the first-aid kit back into the cabinet then joined Momo back on the bed.

Momo’s lips pursed out into a pout while she carefully rubbed at her elbows but eventually gave the other girl a smile. “Once the stinging stopped, yeah.” She chuckled along with Mina and flashed a grateful smile that Mina still found to be silly looking but in a more endearing way than before. “Thanks again. You really helped me out today.”

“It’s no trouble at all. Their behavior was unacceptable and the treatment you and your friends received is uncalled for, especially if it’s based off appearances,” Mina reasoned, straightening her posture.

“Because we’re not popular and we don’t look the part, right?” Momo asked for clarification, to which Mina simply nodded. Momo tipped her head to one side and spoke again. “Are you popular? You look like you are because you’re pretty.”

The straightforward honesty from the spectacled girl surprised Mina, clearing her throat and averting her eyes away from Momo’s curious gaze. “I suppose I am,” she began carefully. “It’s not something I asked for. Yes, people find me attractive and I am the vice president of the student council but for the most part, that’s all most of the students see from me. They want to befriend me because I’m 'popular' due to my looks in hopes of being popular themselves or have some other motive to give them an edge in this academy, whether it’d be social standing or academic advantage. It’s why I keep my group of friends small because it’s easier that way and I know I can trust them.”

Momo nodded slowly while listening intently to the other girl, tipping her head to the opposite side as she asked another question. “Is that Yuna girl one of those students who want to take advantage of you?”

Hearing the name instantly made Mina grimace. “She’s popular herself despite her unappealing personality. She’s the best singer in the academy’s Advanced Choir and I hate to admit it, but the girl can sing beautifully which is all she has going for her in my opinion. A lot of the students find her charming for some reason but there are rumors of her that say she sleeps around. It’s why I didn’t take her confession to me last semester seriously at all because I’m sure she wants to get into my skirt and have the bragging rights.” Mina huffed and crossed her arms, clicking her tongue against the roof of her mouth in mild annoyance, then glanced over to the girl sitting beside her.

Momo appeared to be lost in thought, hands pressed into the bed behind her as she leaned back and looked to the ceiling. Mina had never seen Momo look so contemplative, she couldn’t take her eyes off Momo as she waited for some sort of response to her rant. A heavy silence hung between them and for a moment, Mina was worried that her answer came off too conceited in tone when it wasn’t her intention, but eventually Momo found her voice and spoke almost wistfully. “Don’t you think it’s unfair that people are quick to judge others based on their appearance alone and instantly have a certain image of you ingrained into their mind?”

The question came out of the blue and Mina sat in silence as she thought about the issue herself. The more she reflected on her own personal experiences, the more truth that was in Momo's words. “It’s human error unfortunately," Mina answered solemnly. "Our brains are wired in a way that we have assumptions about a person the moment we first lay eyes on them based on our own experiences. It’s something we usually can't control, however, it doesn’t mean how we view a person will never change so long as we remain open-minded."

Momo hummed softly to herself with pursed lips, seemingly letting Mina's words sink in. "I think so too. I guess I wished more people were open-minded and would try to see things from the other person's point of view." She abruptly straightened herself and quickly put on the usual toothy grin Mina was used. "Sorry. Didn't mean to ask a weird question and get so serious."

"It's alright. From how you spoke, it seems like it's been on your chest for awhile. I hope I was able to help in some way." Mina offered the other girl a reassuring smile then picked up the form she received from Sana earlier and stood up. "I have to go now. I promised I'd take this to Sohee sunsaengnim before lunch ends."

The transfer student shook her head, looking up at Mina and mirroring the smile. "Please do. You've done so much for me today, all in less than an hour. I'm really grateful to you."

"You're welcome." Mina gave her a single nod then turned to head to the door when Momo's voice stopped her once more.

"Wait―"

Mina turned and tipped her head to one side.

Momo stared blankly at her for several seconds and looked visibly nervous. "I know this is random but I was wondering if it's okay if I, uh... c-call you.... Mina-chan?"

Mina stared back, stunned by the question and even more so by the name, and swiftly turned her back to Momo to hide the dusty pink tint she knew was on her cheeks.

"Yes... Yes, you may."

 

* * *

 

Later after school, Mina remained behind in the student council room with Sana and Jihyo while they were cleaning up and she was sending weekly emails to all the students' school emails that included various announcements about upcoming events, information for extracurricular activities that was on spotlight, and volunteer work openings that would be available. At least, she was supposed to be typing out the emails but Mina stared blankly at the computer screen, her mind wandering to her conversation with Momo from earlier. She felt ashamed because she was one of those people who immediately judged Momo by her appearance when she introduced herself to the class, yet now Mina's impression about Momo has changed. Rather than feeling irritated and exasperated at the sight of the spectacled girl and pointing out what she considered to be her "flaws", all of that was pushed aside and was replaced by genuine interest and curiosity to befriend Momo. It was obvious there was more than meets the eye when it came to Hirai Momo and Mina couldn't help but be drawn to her these days.

_"Mina-chan?"_

Mina sighed and closed her eyes, pinching the bridge of her nose. The way Momo said her name with the common Japanese honorific girls would use for each other continued to replay over and over in her mind. It was foreign yet nostalgic at the same time. Japanese honorifics were only used in her household. She didn't even use them with Sana despite both of them being Japanese.

"Mi. na. ri~" Sana accentuated each syllable of the nickname she and Jihyo had for her in a singsong voice right against her ear. Mina was so startled she jerked in her chair backwards, heart poundly wildly in surprise, while Sana laughed happily at the reaction she elicited. "What's the matter? You're staring so intensely at your laptop but not even typing anything one moment ago and now you're sighing."

"Yeah. You look like you're thinking so hard, it's actually hurting your brain," Jihyo said as she walked over to join Sana by Mina.

"Sorry, girls. I should be getting my work done but I do have a lot on my mind," Mina sighed and closed the laptop. "I'll finish the editing and emails when I'm at home."

"You know there's no rush, right? The deadlines are always on Fridays and you always finish them two days in advance. You're not like Sana here who typically waits till the due date hours before midnight and she's the president," Jihyo laughed as Sana gently shoved her with a pout.

"Anyway, ignoring that," Sana began, playfully pushing Jihyo aside. "Tell us what you're thinking about. It's obvious you're not going to get anything done until you get it off your chest.

Mina began to recount the events that transpired during lunch that involve Choi Yuna and her friends against Momo, who wanted them to stop their bullying against Nayeon and Dahyun, and how everything eventually escalated. Both Sana and Jihyo faces twisted with disgust when Mina mentioned how Yuna pushed Momo to the ground that the fall injured Momo, but gave approving nods when Mina said she brought Momo to the infirmary. She could have stopped it there but Mina felt compelled to bring up the topic of labels and judgement off first impressions, relaying Momo's own thoughts as well as her own. Naturally, she omitted the part where Momo asked if she could call her "Mina-chan" to avoid embarrassment due to the warmth that would return to her cheeks if she talked about it aloud.

Once she was finished, Sana folded her arms acrossed her chest and leaned against the desk, brow furrowed as a sigh followed. "I wonder if Momo feels this way from the treatment she and her friends have been receiving. It concerns me that it's been happening behind our backs. We really need to start keeping on an eye on them. I'll text the rest of the council members so we'll have eyes everywhere."

"You know, it's a good thing the three of us managed to win the elections for the top three positions of the student council," Jihyo suddenly put in.

Mina and Sana blinked and gave her a look. "Jihyo power hungry? Didn't see that coming," Sana said, taken aback from the secretary's words.

"Hear me out," Jihyo interjected. "I'm saying that it's better it's us rather than Yuna's group of girls or anyone like them for that matter. Girls who take advantage of their positions and play favorites because let's face it, girls can be ruthless and petty over things like popularity and appearance. Remember the ones who ran the council before we took up the mantle once they graduated?"

"God, I hated them," Mina grumbled, unpleasasnt memories resurfacing. "They treated the hallways as their own personal red carpet. There really was a clear, define line between who was considered popular and who wasn't, and there was favoritism with which clubs and extracurricular activities received more school funding which I think was even worse."

"Exactly," Jihyo said with a nod. "Not trying to inflate our egos but you have to admit there has been positive changes around the academy once we took over."

"I kind of hate to say this but I have to admit that our popularity has helped us," Sana conceded. "The difference is that we're not complete bitches to anyone who isn't considered popular among our peers and we use our popularity for good. Not for our own selfish reasons like some others do."

Mina smiled at her friends and felt a surge of warmth and pride towards what they've built together by being a part of the council. She chose the right people to befriend when she entered the academy. 

 

* * *

 

During passing period between her next class, Mina quickly stopped by her locker to swap textbooks when she felt someone tapping on her shoulder. She turned around to find Momo, grinning broadly at her with hands behind her back. "Hello, Mina-chan."

Mina insistedly ignored the feeling in the pit of her stomach at the way Momo addressed her. "Hello, Momo. What can I do for you?"

The taller girl fidgeted nervously for a few seconds then revealed what she was hiding behind her and held out a small bag of cookies. "Here. I made these for you as a token of my thanks. I had no idea what's your favorite flavor so I went classic and decided on chocolate chip. I hope you like them."

Touched, Mina gingerly took the bag from Momo and held onto it delicately, admiring the cute wrapping paper and string surrounding the cookies. Mina smiled. "Thank you. You didn't have to go through the trouble of making these for me."

"I wanted to," Momo said simply. "Let me know how they taste when you try them."

Mina chuckled and gave a nod. "I will when I get the chance, Momo-kun."

"Ehhh?" Momo whined in such a way Mina found oddly cute. "Why not 'Momo-chan'?"

"I think 'Momo-kun' suits you more," Mina said as her smile widened at the sight of a pouting Momo.

"Hnnngh..." Momo grumbled to herself but quickly recovered seconds later and grinned again. "Okay! Momo-kun it is." The warning bell rang loudly in their ears and interrupted their cheerful exchange."Ah. I better hurry to my next class. See you around, Mina-chan."

"Bye," Mina said and waved as the other girl scurried off.

Even though she only had a few minutes till next period began, Mina examined the packaging a little closer. there was a small stationary tag that the string looped through that had "To Mina-chan" neatly written in Japanese across its surface, which only made Mina smile more as she walked to class.


	5. The Real Hirai Momo

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hello readers! Sorry for the delay! I've been having fun looking at pictures, videos, and fan accounts of Twiceland. After receiving some feedback, I decided to make updates longer than before so I can get the plot moving but it does mean that chapters won't be as frequent because of it. And I also noticed and realized not many of you understand Japanese honorfics so I'll take time to explain since it does play a part in MiMo's relationship in the story. (Disclaimer: I'm not an expert in Japanese honorifics and I'm giving a simplified explanation. It's a lot more detailed than I'll be explaining because it depends on the situation and the context of the relationship between the two people involved. Anyone more knowledgable in Japanese honorifics feel free to correct me if I'm wrong!)
> 
> In Japanese culture when you first meet someone for the first time, you address each other by surnames + -san to be polite until you become closer with the other person (ex. Myoui-san,). When you are more comfortable with the person, you can change the honorific to -chan or -kun (ex. Myoui-chan). It is also possible to say a person's given name + -san (ex. Momo-san) but it's not as polite. Normally, you shouldn't address someone by their given name + honorific upon meeting them. You must ask if you can or else you'll come off as rude.
> 
> The fact Momo asked Mina if she could call her "Mina-chan" is basically asking Mina for permission if they can become closer and become friends since they'd be skipping all the formalities. It's no surprise why it'd fluster Mina.
> 
> But why does Mina call Momo "Momo-kun" instead of "Momo-chan", you're asking? 
> 
> Typically, -chan is used between girls who are friends as a term of endearment or used to call something/someone cute. -Kun is usually used between young boys who are friends or for a female to address her male friend in a cute way. However, girls can also address their female friends using -kun, which holds a bit more respect than -chan since -chan is a very cutesy honorific.
> 
> For Mina to call her "Momo-kun" explains how she now views Momo, now admiring Momo for standing up to the bullies which earned her Mina's respect, while also implying that she would also like to become closer friends with Momo. It's why Momo doesn't mind being addressed as -kun despite wanting to be called -chan instead. She's happy knowing that Mina also wants to be friends with her.
> 
> Lastly, you NEVER address a person by their given name without honorifics unless you are family, very close friends, or lovers. Otherwise, it's very rude.
> 
> Hopefully that helped out some of you because like I said, honorifics will play a small part in the story. Enough of my Japanese 101 though. Enjoy the chapter~

 

Mina stood in front of her locker once her final class was dismissed, opening the lock with one hand while she gingerly held the bag of cookies Momo gave her in the other. From the corner of her eye, she could see Sana skipping over to her, her dark brunette locks bouncing with each step. "Hey, Mina! Let's walk to the station together. Jihyo isn't coming because she said she's staying behind to get some English tutoring at the library."

"Sure. It's nice to be able to head home early for once," Mina said, flashing Sana a smile as she closed her locker.

Sana noticed the small bag was holding and pointed to it with a grin. "What's that? Did someone confess to you again?"

Normally, Mina would scoff at Sana's teasing but the familiar warmth returned to her cheeks as she tried to explain herself. "Hey. You get more confessions than I do. They're only cookies. I was given to them by―"

"Mina-chan!"

The vice president inwardly groaned.

_That girl sure has perfect timing..._

Mina forced a smile on as Momo approached them already preparing herself for Sana's inquiries as she could already feel Sana's eyes on her while Momo remained blissfully unaware. "A-ah... Hello, Momo-kun. What can I do for you?"

"Nothing, really. Just wanted to say hello and wondered if you tried the cookies yet," Momo answered simply, adjusting her framed glasses on her nose before greeting Sana with a 90 degree bow.

"Oh? You're the one who made Mina cookies?" Sana asked innocently with a smile but Mina could hear the amused lilt in Sana's voice that made Mina want to jump off a cliff in embarrassment.

Momo straightened her posture, lifting her chin proudly and gripped at the straps of her backpack. "Yep! I really appreciated what Mina-chan did for me the other day and felt that words weren't enough so I baked her cookies."

"It was nothing," Mina muttered, shifting in place. "I was simply doing my duty."

"That's Minari for you. Always humble no matter the circumstance," Sana praised and patted Mina on the back which only made Mina grit her teeth behind her forced smile. She really wanted to smack that smile off Sana's perfect face.

Momo seemed to agree and opened her mouth but the sound of a phone ringing cut her off, looking down at the flashing screen. "Ah. I really need to take this call. I'm sorry."

"It's alright. Bye." Mina waved goodbye as Momo left her alone with Sana to talk on the phone, the smile immediately curving downward into a frown the moment she turned to meet Sana's sly smile.

"Mina-chan, huh? Momo-kun too, hm?" Sana snickered while gently prodding Mina's upper arm with her index finger, earning her a groan from Mina. "I was very surprised. You and I haven't use Japanese honorifics with each other since we were in primary yet you're using them with Momo who only arrived here recently."

"She asked me if it was alright to call me that so I said yes and decided I might as well use honorifics back," Mina explained with certainty as her rebuttal, making her way to the exit and motioning Sana to follow her.

Sana pursed her lips and let out an audible hum that signaled she wasn't satisfied with her answer. "Is that really all there is to it?"

"Yes," Mina flatly replied with knitted brows, inwardly cringing at herself. Why was she getting so defensive all of a sudden?

Luckily for her, Sana didn't press the issue further despite the fact it was obvious her curiosity wasn't satiated and instead suggested that they go buy some bubble tea on their way to the subway station.

 

* * *

 

Mina locked herself in her room after dinner to focus on her homework for the rest of the evening. Her beloved pup, Ray, quietly laid beside her feet as the sound of pencil strokes across paper filled the silence in her room, diligently finishing the remaining problems of her physics homework. Her evenings were always like this, a constant set routine that she has followed since the beginning of high school when her parents told her she had to become more serious with her studies. Mina never disobeyed her parents and was the type of child other parents would call the "ideal daughter", although Mina silently disgreed whenever parents praised her because she was nowhere near perfect because of the flaws she knew she had nor did she enjoy the attention. In truth, she always listened to her parents not only because she didn't want to disappoint them but because she had no sense of independence. When it came to her future, Mina didn't know what she wanted to do so she let her parents decide for her.

She exhaled loudly upon finishing the last set of problems and set her pencil down to review and double check her work. Out of the corner of her eye sat the bag of cookies she received from Momo, still remained untouched due to the fact her mother didn't allow her to eat sweets before dinner. Mina opted that it was time for a well-deserved break and reached for the bag to indulge in. When she opened the bag, a delectable and fresh aroma wafted into her nostrils that made Mina's mouth water and she swiftly took a cookie between her fingers and took a bite. The moment the chewy, chocolately softness of the cookie melted on her tongue, she hummed in delight and wiggled in her seat while consuming the rest of the cookie.

"Wow... that was delicious," Mina admitted to herself. Ray seemed to have smelled the cookies and plopped his muzzle atop of Mina's lap, to which she chuckled at the literal puppy dog eyes he was giving her. "No, no. You can't eat these cookies because you can't have chocolate, silly."

Ray simply stared and darted out his tongue to swipe over his nose, making Mina giggle to herself softly and scratched between his ears.

Mina knew it was unhealthy to snack on cookies at this time of night but she was unable to resist the homemade goodies and grabbed another. As she chewed on her second cookie, her eyes fell on the stationary tag with her name.

_Momo has nice handwriting,_ Mina thought to herself before Momo's face popped into her mind.

 

_"Mina-chan!"_

 

Mina squeezed her eyes shut when she could feel her stomach doing flips and sighed while she ran a hand through her hair in mild frustration. Why can't she get Momo's voice out of her head? It was bothering her but instead of Momo being the cause of her distress like before, Mina is more annoyed with herself. She hasn't been able to think straight as of late since the other girl began calling her that. It was strange how fate seemed to work considering how she went from disliking the other’s girl presence to somehow allowing a blossoming friendship to happen between them. Mina had a newfound respect for Momo after witnessing her stand up to Yuna and her clique, something that doesn’t happen often. She also couldn’t deny that there was something Momo was hiding and hoped that befriending the girl with the fake glasses would quell her curiosity once she finally summons the courage to ask.

But Mina was getting ahead of herself.

Pushing aside those troubling thoughts, Mina gave Ray the last tiny crumb of her cookie without chocolate to satisfy him then stood from her chair after deciding she had worked enough for the night, leaving her room to brush her teeth and do her nightly skin care routine with Ray trailing behind her. As she was squeezing toothpaste onto her toothbrush, she felt her phone vibrate int her pocket followed by a high-pitched _ding_  notifying her she received a text message, pulling out her phone to see who it was.

 

**[ SMS: Jongin oppa ]** Hey Black Swan! Can’t wait to see you return to the ballet studio tomorrow! It’s been lonely without you.

 

Mina gasped. She had completely forgotten that she’d be resuming ballet classes tomorrow.

 

**[SMS: Mina ]** Hello Nini bear! I can’t wait either! Hard to believe a month and a half has already passed.

**[ SMS: Jongin oppa ]** I miss you but don’t call me that.

**[ SMS: Mina ]** ㅋ ㅋ ㅋ No promises. See you tomorrow, oppa!

 

Mina slipped her phone back into her pocket and began to finish up her nightly routine, excited for the following day to come.

 

* * *

 

Her first day back at JYP Studios was just what Mina needed to unwind from the stress school was giving her. In JYP Studios, there were various types of dance classes that were offered, taught by well-known and respected choreographers and instructors, but what made JYP Studios different when it came to its students was if you could pass a class’ auditions, you could attend that class under a scholarship, although you’d be reevaluated every three months in order to maintain that scholarship. Otherwise, you'd have to pay a costly fee to attend their classes and workshops.

Mina had been with the dance school ever since she was five after passing her ballet audition and it was almost like a second home to her. Many of her classmates came and go as she grew up and her only friend that remained from her primary school days was Kim Jongin. While Mina was crowned the best female ballet dancer in the ballet division, Jongin held the title for the best male. They were often paired together for ballet productions because their chemistry onstage was unrivaled, their performance on “Swan Lake” two years ago making it onto the trending section of Naver for a few hours. Despite how their ballet peers liked to tease and push them to date, both her and Jongin always insisted that they were only childhood friends and colleagues in ballet.

Mina’s first day back to the studio was rusty for the first half hour of the class but she gradually got the rhythm back, mentally patting herself on the back for keeping up with her stretches and small practices she would do at home in her room. At the end of the class, Jongin joined her while she was putting on her sneakers. 

“How was your first day back?” he asked with a grin and hoisted his duffle bag over his shoulder.

Mina picked up her tote bag and did the same. “I remembered why I hate taking breaks for ballet. A month away really makes a difference if I’m not practicing. I think I did pretty good though.”

“You need a break every once in awhile though. Besides, you’re still the best in the advanced division of the ballet classes here,” Jongin casually commented and opened the door for Mina while they excited the ballet dance room.

“I can’t be the best forever. Not when I have to focus on my studies first,” Mina responded back, a hint of melancholy in her voice.

Jongin frowned but nodded understandingly. “Yeah. I get you. Still a waste. You’re a talented ballerina, Mina. I know our instructor will be sad once you graduate because that means you’ll be done with ballet too.”

Mina couldn’t think of anything to say. She didn’t have to since her attention shifted to a group of girls crowding around the door to one of the practice rooms, the girls attempting to look through the door's small square window. 

“Wow! She’s so cool!”

“Look at the way she moves!”

“That power and charisma!”

All three girls squealed in unison so loudly that one instructor emerged from a room across from them and shooed the girls away.

Mina blinked in confusion, turning to Jongin. “What in the world just happened?”

“Oh that? While you were absent, some girl passed her audition for the urban and hip hop dance class with flying colors and she’s been the talk of everyone in that department. Apparently, she’s incredibly talented that some of the instructors mistaken her for being a professional dancer that they wondered why she’s even here. She has a small following of fangirls as you just saw,” Jongin explained before letting out a sleepy yawn. "It's been happening every time I come here."

“I see...” was all Mina could say. The door clicked open and Mina was curious to see who this infamous urban/hip hop dancer is.

“I thought those girls would never leave..”

_Wait. That voice. No... it couldn’t be..._

The girl that stepped out of the practice room was none other than Hirai Momo.

But this wasn’t the same girl she’d see at school, far from it the more Mina examined Momo from head to toe. Momo’s trademark specs were nowhere to be found and the girl was clad in Adidas sweatpants that hugged her curves in just the right places and wore a simple black sleeveless crop top. Mina’s mind was reeling, completely mindblown at what she was witnessing and she wanted to turn and walk away if it wasn’t for the fact Momo spotted her, looking equally as surprised.

“Mina-chan?!” Momo exclaimed and walked over to Mina and Jongin, eyes examing Mina’s attire with a goofy grin that was the only thing about this Momo Mina found to be familiar. “A ballerina leotard... I didn’t know you did ballet here!”

“Y-Yeah, I do... I was taking a break from ballet classes and returned today...” Mina muttered, trying her damn hardest not to look down at the other girl’s exposed midriff that revealed toned abs. It’s when Momo’s standing in front of her she also realized Momo was standing up  _straight_  and that Momo was actually more taller than her than she thought.

Jongin was witnessing their exchange with mild amusement. “I didn’t know you knew the urban danceprodigy, Mina.”

“I didn’t know she was a prodigy until now,” Mina answered truthfully, narrowing her eyes at Momo who only laughed nervously.

“Jongin! Sorry to bother you but I need your help with moving props from storage!” one of the ballet instructors called loudly from down the hall.

“Well, damn,” Jongin sighed and rubbed the back of his neck before turning to the girls. “Go ahead without me, Mina. I can tell this is going to take some time. Nice to meet you, miss.”

“Likewise,” Momo smiled.

Mina and Momo waved Jongin off together then Mina turned to the other girl with a raised brow. “You’ve got some explaining to do, Momo-kun.” 

Momo smiled sheepishly. “Looks like I do.”

 

* * *

 

They relocated to a cafe after Mina changed into her regular attire and sat down at a table in the very back. Mina purchased an iced Americano for herself while Momo was sipping on a peach=flavored Italian soda, a detail Mina found to be fitting. 

“So why do you present yourself the way you do at school?” Mina asked straightforwardly. It was a question she wanted to ask for so long and here was her chance to finally know.

“You don’t beat around the bush, huh?” Momo laughed as she stirred the ice in her soda. “There are a couple of reasons why I hide the way I really am.” Momo paused briefly to collect her thoughts before continuing. “You saw how those girls were acting towards me back at the studio right? It was the same in my old school and back in middle school as well. I dance because I love to dance but.. it also draws an unwanted crowd, too much attention for my taste. When you talked about your popularity, I immediately related to you because that’s how I felt at my former high school. I was popular and cool because I was a girl who could dance as well, even better, than some of the guys. It was really troublesome because that’s all I was. That was part of the reason I asked my parents for me to transfer schools because I couldn’t take how fake people were over there and I decided to hide my image with a nerdy, clumsy one to have a more peaceful school life. But I still wanted to dance and so I enrolled at JYP Studios so I could continue my passion.”

Mina was listening intently to Momo, unconsciously drinking in every detail that was entering her ears. She had no idea she and Momo had a lot in common. “You certainly fooled me and everyone else at school. You could be an actress with how convincing your act is.”

Momo beamed at the compliment, chuckling under her breath. “Thank you. Other than you, only Nayeon and Dahyun know about the kind of person I am although they’ve never seen me outside of my school uniform. But I have danced for them to convince them that I was a dancer. I hope you’ll keep this a secret because I do enjoy my school life as it is, even if I do get bullied.”

“Of course. You have my word,” Mina sincerely promised and took a sip of her Americano with a hum, pitying Momo. From Momo’s story, it seemed like she had a very difficult life in her previous school if she had to resort to putting up a facade even if it meant the image she was showing wasn’t favorable or attractive to most of the students. “You said that was part of the reason you were hiding but what was the other reason?”

Momo’s smile was replaced by a wistful expression, her gaze lowering down to her bubbling peach drink. It was quiet between them save for the noise of coffee grinding and the chatter from other customers. Mina had never seen the usually bubbly and goofy Momo wear such an expression. “I’m sorry. You don’t have to tell me if it’s too personal.”

The dancer lifted and shook her head, smiling apologetically. “No, no. It’s alright... I started explaining so I should finish.” Momo pursed her lips. “Have you ever been in love, Mina-chan?”

The question caught Mina completely off-guard (because it always seems to happen when she’s around Momo), faking a cough and clearing her throat. “I can’t say that I have... I’ve never dated anyone before.”

Momo sipped her drink until there was nothing but ice left in her glass, letting out a sigh. “The other reason was that I was heartbroken.”

Mina’s mouth hung open. No words left her lips so Momo took that as a sign to go on.

“I was in love with this girl. She was one of my fans but unlike the other girls who screamed and squealed whenever I danced, she’d silently watch me with a smile that still gets my heart doing flips thinking about it to this day.” Momo let out a pathetic laugh and lightly hit herself on the head before continuing. “She stood out from the rest and before I knew it, I was always searching for her in the crowd whenever I performed. One day, she approached me and confessed to me. It was that moment I realized I fell for her at first sight and I didn’t hesitate to say yes. We were together for four months... then she broke up with me.”

Mina could see that Momo was struggling to keep her emotions at bay and frowned. “Why did she break up with you?” she asked softly.

Momo sighed and leaned back against her chair, a bitter smile slowly forming on her lips. “It’s because I didn’t meet the image she had of me in her head. The way she pictured me was different from reality, how I actually am. I admit I can be boyish with how I dress while dancing and how I prefer powerful choreographies rather than cutesy or sexy kinds, even doing dance covers from male idol groups, but I'm also more feminine when I'm not dancing. I enjoy cooking, I can't stand bugs, horror movies and roller coasters terrify me... Those are a few examples. " Momo's grip around her empty glass tightened. "It's that feminine side of me that slowly drew her away from me while I was slowly falling more in love with her. A week after the break up, she was already in another relationship with a guy and I couldn't take it... seeing them together. It was painful. So painful. I couldn't stay at that school anymore. To be honest with myself, she was the main reason I transferred, the main reason I had to get away. I can deal and handle the fakeness of the people at that school but I couldn't watch the girl I love kiss someone else."

"Do you still love her?" Mina questioned gently, unsure if she was heading into further sensitive territory.

"I'm finally getting over her," Momo admitted, flashing Mina a tiny smile. "Checking her social media and all the posts with her boyfriend was a way for me to gauge how painful it was to see them together because she deleted all the pictures she had with me. But looking at them together doesn't hurt as much as before... So I'm taking that as a sign that I'm moving on."

Without thinking, Mina placed her hand over Momo's and returned the smile. When Mina wanted to know the truth behind Hirai Momo, she never expected that the transfer student held a sad secret, more broken and struggling more than Mina could imagine. Her admiration for Momo grew because Mina couldn't imagine herself accepting such a situation. Momo was a sweet person who only wanted someone to accept her for who she was. Their talk in the infirmary suddenly made more sense to Mina. "I'm not the best when it comes to comforting nor the best at advice when it comes to relationship issues, but you should know that you're fine the way you are, Momo-kun. I won't expose your secret, but I do believe that hiding your true self isn't the answer. And I'm certain when the time comes, someone will fall for you the way you are and accept all aspects of you."

Momo fell silent and Mina was worried her words did nothing to comfort the other girl, but to her relief, Momo's smile widened and wrapped both her hands around one of Mina's, squeezing her hand gently. "Thank you, Mina-chan. I really appreciate your kind words. I feel a lot better thanks to you once again."

After the heavy conversation, Mina took the train back home together with Momo and walked to her house. They stood in front of Mina's place and smiled at each other. "I didn't realize you lived so close to me. I live only a block and a half away," Momo remarked, turning her head to examine Mina's house.

Mina laughed quietly, cringing at herself because she already knew they lived in the same area for awhile now but she was avoiding the girl at the time. "Maybe it's fate?" 

"Could be," Momo agreed, chuckling softly. "I had fun today. We should hang out again sometime."

"I'd like that," Mina answered genuinely, which made the latter grin widely.

"Bye, Mina-chan."

"Bye, Momo-kun."

Momo smiled at Mina then began to walk away until Mina remembered something and called out to Momo. "Wait!" Momo stopped and turned around, tipping her head to one side. "I almost forgot to tell you that I ate your cookies. They were really good."

Momo beamed and gave Mina her signature goofy, toothy grin. "I'm glad you liked them! I'll bake you more sometime."

"I'll look forward to it."

Mina watched as Momo walked away, fully aware of the butterflies fluttering in the pit of her stomach. She then placed a hand over her heart and realized that her heart was racing the entire time she was with Momo and that her cheeks were starting to hurt from smiling.

She truly has warmed up to Hirai Momo.

 

* * *

 

A/N: Help me decide which kind of Mimo one-shot I should do next by clicking [here](https://twitter.com/wooperskai/status/998752848191021056) to vote or checking out my pinned tweet on my Twitter @wooperskai. No follow is necessary!


	6. The Price of Popularity and Friendship

Mina wasn't exactly sure when things began to change, but she has been aware that her life is now different than before. Although she would never admit it aloud, she knew it was because of the fact she was now friends with Hirai Momo. 

 

It became a silent agreement between the two of them that they would rarely acknowledge each other when they were at school. Momo would give her the subtlest of waves while Mina would return the gesture with a simple nod. Of course, she would notice the few times Momo would smile brightly at her, amusement and excitement glittering her eyes as if she's enjoying this secret game they were playing that no one knew about. She had a feeling Sana knew there was something going on between them (the school president was a lot more perceptive than she let on) but if she did, she never said anything to Mina. It seemed simpler and less controversial to stay in their respective group of friends to avoid attention and gossip, so during the week, Mina would be spending time with Sana and Jihyo if she wasn't studying or with her family.

 

However it was different on weekends. Mina would always hangout with Momo after their respective dance lessons at the dance studio. Even on Sundays, when they had no lessons, they would meet up, even if it was only for a couple of hours. Sometimes they would spend their time at a coffee shop. Other times they were at the park that was located near their homes. It was another unspoken agreement that they avoided places where it was likely they would run into their classmates. Although even if they did, it wasn't too much of a worry since Mina believed none of their peers at school would recognize Momo considering the demeanor she presented outside of school was a complete 180 from how she was seen in class. The nerdy Momo was a goofy, quiet, and friendly girl with terrible posture and thick-framed glasses. The real Momo was still friendly and goofy but had a straight posture that exuded confidence and power, even when she wasn't dancing, and had perfect vision. Even so, she was still the complete opposite from Mina yet somehow they got along perfectly once Momo was being honest about her true self. In truth, Mina was having a lot of fun whenever she was with Momo.

 

But why?

 

"Earth to Mina-chan," Momo called while waving a hand in front of Mina's face, snapping the ballerina from her thoughts. "Did you hear a word I said?"

 

Mina blinked rapidly and shook her head while a sheepish smile spread across her face. "Ah. Sorry. Guess I spaced out. What was your question?"

 

"I asked what you'd like to do today. Should we go to that one café with all the card games? It's been awhile."

 

"It's because it's far in comparison to our other places we go to. What about the mall?"

 

"We really shouldn't. I don't want to be tempted to by clothes I don't need. I'm not rich like you because I don't get such a big allowance," Momo commented while laughing, gently poking at Mina's shoulder to which she responded by playfully slapping Momo's hand away.

 

"For the nth time, I'm not rich," Mina laughed as well. "But fair enough. I shouldn't spend money either."

 

Momo released an overexaggerated sigh and clasped both hands behind her head as they both walked to the station. "Should we go to our usual coffee shop?"

 

Mina pursed her lips, visibly hesitating, but said it anyway. It wasn't such a strange suggestion between friends after all. "Would you like to come over to my house, Momo-kun?"

 

Momo stopped in her tracks and stared at Mina with wide eyes with an expression that Mina couldn't decipher.

 

"A-ah… It's okay if you don't want to. It was just an option, you know…" Mina mumbled quietly, more to herself.

 

"No, it's fine! I would love to!" Momo insisted. "I was just shocked because you've never invited me over before."

 

"I'm surprised I haven't invited you over sooner," Mina explained calmly while entering their train. She spotted two empty seats and quickly ran over to take the window seat, looking over to Momo as she sat beside her. She tried to ignore how her heart began to thud so hard inside her ribcage when their shoulders touched and how they were connected at the hip. So she kept a straight face when Momo seemed to be unaware of these details and mentally scolded herself because it was normal.

 

"I'm excited! I've actually never been to anyone's house since middle school," Momo said happily while turning her head to Mina. Was Momo really that close to her or was she imagining things?

 

"Really? Not even to Nayeon's or Dahyun's home?" Mina asked curiously, a surprised lilt in her voice.

 

Momo shook her head. "No, not yet anyway. They live on the opposite side of town from where we live so traveling to either of their houses would be a long ride. We've been planning to spend some time outside of school but someone is always busy and we prefer if all three of us were available. So, you get to be the lucky one that is the first to invite me over!"

 

"I see. I guess I am pretty lucky then," Mina muttered more to herself while a ghost of a smile curved on her pink lips.

 

* * *

 

When they arrived at Mina's house, her mother was surprised to see a new face. Mina inwardly groaned in embarrassment when her mother burst out speaking Japanese, with her excitement only intensifying when Momo revealed her Kansai accent. She was thankful Momo dealt with her mother and was polite to answer her numerous questions. Momo's attention was soon diverted when Ray padded into the room to greet Mina, her eyes widening and literally almost sparkling as she bent down to hug Ray. Mina was amused yet also concerned to learn of Momo's love for dogs considering she was mildly allergic.

 

After her mother excused herself to make them some food (and pushing Ray into the backyard for Momo's sake although to Momo's dismay), Mina escorted Momo upstairs to her room and inwardly worried what the latter would think. Despite her appearance and her love for ballet, Mina had a strong love for video games and superhero films. Although she couldn't play her console systems as much as before due to studying for her college entrance exams, Mina had a shelf solely dedicated to displaying the console and handheld systems she owned, mostly from Nintendo. On her walls hung a few posters, consisting of Sailor Moon from the manga and the live action Avengers movie from Marvel Studios. It seemed that Momo realized the jarring difference from her appearance in comparison to her hobbies.

 

"Wow…" was all Momo could say for a good couple of minutes as she walked around, seemingly to survey every inch of her room.

 

"Surprised?" Mina asked with a smile.

 

"Yeah… I would have never guessed Myoui Mina, the academy's vice president and the studio's black swan, would be a gamer and a lover of action movies." Momo's smile widened to show her pearly whites. "It feels like you don't show this part of yourself to just anyone so now I feel special."

 

Mina's smile faltered slightly and she stepped over to her shelf of consoles, running a hand over her dusty Nintendo 64. "Yeah. It's just like you said back in the infirmary. I've always had this elegant, graceful exterior even when I was little. I swear it wasn't intentional but it's how people who first looked at me would always perceive me as." Mina picked up the grey and awkward-looking controller of the 64 and held it in her hands. "I would invite classmates over to my house during primary school and ask them to play Mario Kart with me, because my older brother made me love the game so much, and wanted to spread that love to my friends… But the girls only wanted to play with dolls and play dress up and had no interest in games. They thought it was weird that a girl like me played video games like a boy did." Mina chuckled to herself while recalling the memory and placed the controller back on the shelf. "Children have a certain way of looking at the world so in retrospect, I can understand where they were coming from.… but it did hurt back then for being judged for things I genuinely loved and enjoyed."

 

Momo was silent while she spoke although Mina could feel Momo's eyes on her the entire time. After a moment of silence hung between them, Momo spoke up. "Mina-chan. Thank you for sharing and trusting me with this side of you. When you're older, judgement from your peers can hurt you more than when you're a kid… so thank you."

 

Mina shook her head but wore a gentle expression across her features. "In all honesty, I don't hide this side of me anymore. Rather, I only mention my hobbies to those who ask, which is why until now, Sana and Jihyo were the only ones who actually wanted to get to know me at the academy. Trusting you was easier than I expected, but perhaps it's because you've already shown me your own secret and your reasoning behind it."

 

Momo walked over to Mina and picked up the controller she had just put down and smiled. "It's great that neither of us have nothing to hide now. Shall we celebrate with some old school Mario Kart?

 

"Are you sure? You know, I'm quite the gamer. I take my games very seriously," Mina giggled while she grabbed the console.

 

"You don't seem intimidating to me."

 

"If you want to know one of my gaming achievements, I've clocked in over 1500 hours in MapleStory."

 

"ONE THOUSAND AND FIVE HUNDRED HOURS?!" Momo exclaimed with utter shock she almost dropped the controller. "HOW?!"

 

"Let's just say that my summers when I was younger were uneventful and I preferred not to get sunburned by going outside," Mina simply explained with a smile.

 

* * *

 

The following week, Mina received a chain text message from her ballet instructor that there would be no classes at the studio that weekend. Instead, the founder of JYP Studios has summoned all current dance students to the main auditorium where countless performances were normally held to make an important announcement.

 

When Saturday came around, Mina sat beside Jongin and was surrounded by the rest of the ballet students. The rest of the seats in the auditorium were filled with students from other genres of dance classes, ranging from ballroom dancing, to hip-hop, to contemporary. Mina attempted to scan the vast sea of hip-hop students but could not find a glimpse of Momo among them and soon gave up the moment the founder, Park Jinyoung, took the stage holding a microphone.

 

"Students of JYP Dance Studios!" Park Jinyoung bellowed, his voice loud and full of authority. "Thank you all for coming today. Although all classes and workshops have been cancelled for today, I bring great news. On the second Saturday of next month, we'll be hosting our first ever studio-wide showcase that's open to the public. Any dance student may participate, you may even coordinate with a student from a different genre, dance in a group or alone, it does not matter so long as you create your own choreography."

 

Suddenly, the auditorium erupted in loud whispers and many chatted amongst themselves and with fellow neighbors. Instructors that were stationed at the ends of aisles had to shush the students for Park Jinyoung to continue. Once the building was quiet again, the founder continued.

 

"As I was saying, there are very few restrictions because the instructors and I believe that in doing so, will also restrict the full potential of each and every one of you. It does not matter if you've been with the studio for a month or since you were a child, so long as you work hard to show us and the public your skills, individuality, and dedication to the art that is dance. Naturally, plagiarizing choreography is strictly prohibited and you will be caught so I suggest you don't embarrass yourself and my dance studio to the public."

 

"Do we have to audition to participate in the showcase?" one student called out to ask.

 

"No. Most of you have were accepted to attend this studio from your own merits. You have shown us more than enough of what you can do in whatever form of dance you have chosen to pursue here. And even for those paid to enroll at this dance studio, it means you still have the passion and the drive to improve and hone your skills," he explained in response. "If you have further questions, do not hesitate to ask me or your respective instructor. Remember, you have just a little over a month to prepare and you have one week to sign up for the showcase. Thank you for your time and good luck.

 

In minutes, the auditorium was emptied and most headed home but few who stayed behind to discuss the upcoming showcase, chatting amongst themselves animatedly while Mina walked off to the side with Jongin. "This is a big deal. I've been here since I was little and they've never done something like this before, the whole integrating of genres and all."

 

"I hear it's because he's hoping this will help promote his name overseas and bring in outside talent and skills to make the studio more diverse. Something about the founder's vision," Jongin commented while letting out a yawn. "You thinking about entering since you won't be part of the ballet production this year? I would if I wasn't the male lead."

 

"I'm not sure. I guess it won't be as demanding as the production so I'll still have time to study but it's up to my parents. I wouldn't know what to do though even if I wanted to sign up for the showcase."

 

Jongin nodded with pursed lips. "Well, obviously you would show your skills in ballet. It's the only form of dance you know."

 

"Mina-chan!"

 

Mina and Jongin turned around to find Momo running towards them, stopping directly in front of Mina wearing a broad, silly grin. "Mina-chan! Mina-chan! Be my partner and let's enter the showcase!"

 

"Eh?!" Mina exclaimed, taken by surprise to the point where her mind temporarily halted proper functioning while processing what she just heard. "You want me to join you? You do realize we do completely different styles of dancing, right?"

 

"I don't see how that's a problem," Momo casually answered back without much thought which made Mina sigh. Momo's carefree attitude was envious at times but it meant that the latter failed to see reason as well. "I think this would be a great challenge and opportunity for the both of us."

 

"I don't know…" Mina trailed off. She was not the type of person to leave her comfort zone and try drastically new things she was not accustomed to at all and visibly hesitated. The concern about having enough time for her studies to please her parents was another concern that tugged at the back of her conscious.

 

Momo reached down and clasped one of Mina's hands into both of hers, pleading with earnest and clear eyes with her bottom lip slightly protruding out to form a pout. "Come on, Mina-chan. You're the only one I want to do this with. Please? For me?"

 

Mina stared for what seemed like hours into Momo's dark chocolate eyes, feeling the other girl grasp her hand tighter in desperation. It suddenly occurred to Mina how fast her heart was racing the deeper she gazed into Momo's eyes and swallowed thickly. She exhaled slowly and nodded, finally relenting, silently hoping her heart would stop thudding in her chest so hard. "Alright. You win, Momo-kun. I'll be your partner."

 

Momo cheered happily and enveloped Mina in a tight embrace, pulling her so close that their cheeks were touching. A blush immediately rose to Mina's cheeks and if Momo had held her any longer, she was sure to have felt the warmth on Mina's cheeks. Instead, Momo grabbed Mina by the wrist and looked at her with determination in her eyes. "Come on, then. I want us to be one of the first people to sign up for the showcase." Turning to Jongin, Momo gave him a ninety-degree bow. "Excuse us, oppa. I'll be kidnapping Mina from here."

 

Jongin dismissed the lighthearted apology with a wave of his hand then yawned. "I'm not her dad. Do what you need to do but I'm heading home to get some rest. Rehearsals and cram school have been kicking my ass so I want to spend my day of catching up on sleep."

 

"Thank you! Hope you get enough rest, oppa!" Momo bowed once more before dragging Mina away.

 

Momo did not let her go till they entered the side of the building where all the practice rooms were held, the same area where she ran into Momo the day she found out who she really was. "I'll be right back. I want to let my instructor know that I'll be signing up as well."

 

"Alright," Mina said, chuckling to herself at Momo's enthusiasm.

 

Mina watched Momo go a few doors down into an office and leaned against the wall on her phone while she waited, deciding to play a mobile RPG game. From her peripheral vision, five girls approached Mina until she was surrounded and trapped. It was clear to Mina that these girls intentions were far from friendly. She slipped her phone into the back pocket of her denim shorts and stared at the girl directly in front of her with a deadpanned expression. "May I help you?"

 

"We couldn't help but overhear that Hirai Momo chose you to dance with her for the showcase," the girl sneered. "And we have to be honest: we don't approve of it."

 

"Not only are you The Black Swan, but you're not even a hip-hop dancer like Momo unnie is. You'll only steal the spotlight from her and bring her down. The public won't see her amazing skills and potential because you two will be sharing the same stage," another girl to Mina's left spat contemptuously and gave Mina a shove to the wall.

 

Mina stifled her grunt of pain but she refused to let these girls' words and clear hostility get to her. It occurred to her that she has never been bullied before, and it was usually people getting bullied because of their association to her because of her popularity at school. Mina found her predicament to be ironic when Momo was considered to be a nerdy nobody at their school because of the façade she puts up, yet here, Momo was the popular one while Mina was considered to be inferior to Momo. These "fans" of Momo were trying to make sure Mina knew where she stood.

 

But Mina wasn't going to let them have their way.

 

"If that's all you have to say, you may go now," Mina coolly replied, crossing her arms and eyeing each girl with an even gaze.

 

"What the hell?"

 

"This fucking bitch…"

 

"Look at her cocky expression."

 

The girl in front of Mina stepped forward till they were only millimeters apart, an ugly scowl on her face. "You think you're better than us, Myoui Mina?"

 

Mina narrowed her eyes and glared back. "I don't think that all. However, you all are going to have to accept the fact that your precious Hirai Momo chose me as her partner. Get over your petty jealousy of me."

 

***CRACK***

 

It happened so fast that it took Mina few seconds to process that she had just been punched across the face. Mina gingerly pressed two fingertips to her left cheek, feeling her skin heat up from the impact and the pain gradually settling in. It was a wonder she barely flinched and managed to stay on her feet, only shooting a more deadly glare in the other girl's direction.

 

"HEY!"

 

Mina and the rest of the girls turned to the source of the voice to find Momo approaching them. The Momo coming towards them wasn't like the usual Momo Mina was used to. Momo normally has a very friendly disposition. She had the goofiest, silliest looking smile and laughed a bit too loudly at times for Mina's taste. But Mina didn't mind because it was Momo's laugh.

 

But this Momo was different.

 

This Momo had the iciest glare, her chocolate eyes lacking any warmth and gentleness that Mina was used to. Momo's hands were both balled into fists, tightened so fiercely that they were shaking, almost as if Momo was holding herself back from snapping. It was intimidating that Mina's harassers noticed the change in Momo as well, all the color draining from their face. Mina couldn't blame them.

 

Momo stopped arm's length away from them, eyeing each girl that claimed to be her fangirl coldly and said in a voice that held no compassion or kindness. "Get out."

 

"Momo unnie. We―" one girl tried to explain weakly.

 

"GET. OUT." Momo emphasized with terrifying command in her voice.

 

Without hesitation, the five girls scrambled and fled from Mina and Momo.

 

Moments later, Mina and Momo sat on a bench in one of the building's lounging areas. Momo had an ice pack pressed her cheek, and although Mina said she could do it herself, Momo vehemently insisted she do it for her. A heavy silence hung between them, only hearing the sound of melting, cracking ice. After awhile, Momo spoke up again, appearing to have turned back to normal.

 

"I'm sorry, Mina-chan… They targeted you because of me."

 

"You don't have to be sorry, Momo-kun. It wasn't your fault at all," Mina reassured the other girl in a soft tone.

 

"It doesn't change the fact that they associated themselves with me. I indirectly hurt you…"

 

Mina gently took the ice pack from Momo and set it down on her lap so she could look at Momo properly. "She was the one that punched me. Not you, Momo-kun. I know you'd never do something like that."

 

Momo hung her head to break eye contact, a hint of sadness seeping into her voice. "I don't want us to have to pretend we're not friends here at the dance studio too because of the whole stupid hierarchy of popularity. We already do it at school…"

 

It was the first time either of them had openly spoke up about this that it caught Mina by surprise. She placed a hand over Momo's in reassurance and offered a smile. "That's the last thing I want too. At the academy, I know you're hiding and pretending to be someone that you're not for your own reasons. But I'd like it for you to be yourself here because I know how much you love to dance and it's a way for you to express yourself." Mina paused to collect her thoughts, then speaks more meekly with a shy smile. "And, well… I enjoy spending time with the real Hirai Momo. She's fun to be around. She's also my friend."

 

Momo lifted her head and Mina could see how relief glittered in the latter's eyes as Momo gradually flashed her signature smile that Mina knew so well at this point. "Thank you, Mina-chan. I'm glad you also feel the same way." Momo's held Mina's hand a bit more securely, and Mina was sure she felt her heart flutter for whatever reason.

 

Mina cleared her throat to steady her voice and retracted her hand for the fluttering to stop. "I'm glad you're back to your usual self. You were quite… scary back there."

 

"I was really angry," Momo confessed, rubbing the back of her neck. "I still am honestly. I walked in right when she punched you. I thought bullying wouldn't happen here but unfortunately I was wrong. I guess my unwanted popularity from my old school followed me here. I won't let it get to me though, nor will I let those girls so unpunished."

 

"You sound like you're trying to be a superhero," Mina giggled softly.

 

"Maybe I am a superhero and you're only discovering it now," Momo answered back playfully.

 

"It would only be impressive if you turned out to be Iron Man or Captain America."

 

"Eh?! What's wrong with me being my own superhero?!" Momo whined, which only made Mina laugh. She studied the childish pout that was visible on Momo's lips and the playful twinkle that has returned in Momo's big, round chocolate eyes, and all of a sudden, she was acutely aware of all the little details on Momo's face that reminded Mina that no matter what façade Momo put up for the rest of the world to see, Mina would still be able to see the real Momo behind the façade.

 

"I'm kidding, Momo-kun. You're wonderful the way you are," Mina said while flashing the other girl an endearing gummy smile.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> After two months I finally updated. It's been difficult to write while on vacation. Thank you all for being so patient and I love all your comments and feedback!


	7. Crescendo of Feelings

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> For the record, I changed my username from "summerskai" to "wooperskai". That's all I want to say for now, so please enjoy the update~

The girls that harassed Mina were indefinitely suspended from the studio. Momo made sure they were punished for their actions.  


Mina made sure the issue didn't reach her parents, especially her father because she predicted he'd use the situation as another reason Mina should leave the studio so she could have complete focus on her studies. She didn't want to be forced to leave JYP Dance Studios before graduating since she was going to dance with Momo for the showcase. The news of their team-up spread like wildfire that it became a hot topic at the studio. The not-so-subtle whispers Mina would hear whenever she in the building was a slight nuisance, but she was used to people talking about her. Many perceived her as the graceful yet stuck up ballerina with a cold exterior, and for the sake of protecting herself, she morphed her disposition to their assumptions of her. Only Jongin and a few others in her class knew that was far from the truth. At the very least, the incident with Momo's fans was resolved quietly and smoothly, and Mina hoped no other complications would arise.

Because of her participation in the showcase, Mina would only able to attend her ballet classes on Sundays while Saturdays would be reserved for Momo. Her ballet instructor was saddened by the news but she understood the showcase was a once-in-a-lifetime experience for Mina.

Mina met Momo in one of the practice rooms by the ballroom dancing classes in hopes of avoiding attention from other students from their respective dance genres. Neither wanted to be disturbed while they thought about what they should do for the showcase nor did they want people peeking into their practice. It was lucky there were so many practice rooms in the building that it made it easier for them to hide. Mina removed her jacket, left in a simple tee and track pants, she began her usual set of stretches while Momo walked over to the room's stereo to set up the audio and plugged her phone into its auxiliary cord. Although she was doing her best to keep herself focused, Mina's eyes kept wandering over to Momo, specifically to Momo's exposed midriff. She had noticed the other girl had a great liking for tops that showed off her toned abs, whether it was intentional for that very purpose or because Momo genuinely wore them for comfort, Mina couldn't say and she was far too embarrassed to ask.

_Come on, Myoui Mina. Focus. Focus! You're being ridiculous._

“You ready to get started?” Momo called.

Mina blinked several times to snap herself out of her inner thoughts then gave Momo a nod, standing up and walking over. "I am. What are we working on first?"

"Since you've only done ballet, I'm guessing you've never choreographed anything in your life, right?" Mina nodded again and tilted her head to one side, wondering where the line of questioning was going. Momo continued. "Alright. I'll take the lead in creating the choreography once we pick a song, and then, you can pitch in any ideas."

"I have no objections," Mina said.

"Great. But first, I need to get an idea of your style of dancing and how quickly you can adapt. Can you do some freestyle ballet for me?"

"E-Eh?" Mina was caught off-guard. She wasn't expecting such a request, and a sudden wave of nervousness crashed inside the pit of her stomach. "Freestyle ballet?"

"Yeah," Momo beamed. "I'm going to play a well-known piece, specifically Waltz of the Flowers from the Nutcracker Suite, and I want you to dance however you'd like."

"Can't I follow the choreography from The Nutcracker?"

"That defeats the purpose of the exercise. Now, are you ready?"

Mina was far from ready and her heart was beating at an alarming rate but it was too late for protest once the familiar orchestrated piece began to play in the room. Momo began the song where the strings started the rhythm of the waltz that was soon followed by the french horns regally entering into the piece. Unsure of what to do, Mina began to move but she unintentionally started to dance to the actual choreography from the ballet production that she clumsily changed from one position to another and leapt and hopped off-tempo. She tried to freestyle but the feeling of being unprepared for the exercise and with Momo watching her intently and closely while wearing a neutral expression made it difficult. All those factors combined was making Mina both nervous and frustrated with herself for not being able to show Momo her true potential as a ballerina. If her peers and instructors could see her now, Mina was certain they would laugh or be disappointed in her. Possibly both.

Three minutes into the song, Mina stopped and stood where she was, face flushed with embarrassment and frustration. Momo paused the song and walked over to Mina. "Why did you stop?"

"I can't do it," Mina answered dejectedly. "I don't know how to improvise on the spot, Momo-kun."

"Of course you can!" Momo insisted and gave Mina an encouraged pat on the shoulder. "I think you were overthinking it. It's really not as hard as you think it is."

Mina wasn't so sure about that and continued to stare down at her feet despondently. "Easy for you to say."

"No, it's true! Have you ever listened to a song that instantly made you move? Like the rhythm seeped into your muscle and bones and you began to move on your own? To me, that's how you start to freestyle. The music guides you and you interpret the song with your body. So as cliché as it sounds, don't think. Feel."

Mina nodded as she drank in Momo's explanation, finding sense in it. All her life she was strictly taught grace and precision had to be integrated into her movement that it was very difficult for her to allow herself to free herself from those restrictions that were rigorously hammered into her form. But she wasn't in ballet class right now. She was alone in a practice room with Momo where those rules don't apply.

"I think I understand better now," Mina mused quietly, then looked up and gave Momo an affectionate smile. "Thank you. I'd like to try again if that's okay."

Momo grinned broadly and gave her a thumbs up. "More thank okay." Momo shuffled back to the stereo and rewound the song. "From the top, Mina-chan!"

The song started off just like before. Mina took a slow, deep breath. Her feet began to move automatically but unlike before, Mina focused on the music. The "1-2-3" rhythm familiar to waltzes acting as a guide on how she should move. She swayed along to the sound of the french horns with her hips and arms, tiptoeing across the floor. Her pace picked up once the clarinet and the flute answered each other in a series of sixteenth notes that lead into a crescendo that burst into an orchestra of strings that played her favorite part of the piece that everyone knew. Mina smiled as she spun in place on her toes then glided across the floor with arms outstretched, tucked in when she twirled. She positioned herself for an échappé then lifted each knee to a down beat, leading to an stretched out, perpendicular left lift. The more she allowed the music to guide her, the more fun Mina was having. She wasn't self-conscious or concerned about impressing Momo; she was happily content to be moving with the music.

At the end of the movement, Mina turned to Momo and confidently struck a pose while on pointed toes and arms in the fifth position, a smile radiating on her face amidst the sweat and heavy breathing. Momo cheered and clapped energetically, mimicking Mina's gummy grin with her own toothy grin. "That was beautiful! So much better!"

Mina shyly blushed and did a little curtsy. "Thank you. Your advice and feedback really helped."

"I'm happy knowing you took it to heart so quickly, Mina-chan! It really helped."

"What was the purpose of this exercise anyway?"

"I wanted to see you dance. How your body natural moves. When I create choreography for me and my partner, I need to see how they dance to get a better understanding of how to create a dance that compliments and merges our styles together. This was especially important our case because of how vastly different our genres are," Momo explained. "It's the first step to understanding each other."

"I assumed we were already starting to get to know each other the moment we had our heart-to-heart talk in the infirmary," Mina smiled as she tied up her hair into a small ponytail, tucking stray hairs behind her ear.

Momo chuckled to herself and nodded. "That's definitely when it started and things went uphill once I was able to be myself around you. But when I said being able to understand each other, I meant through dancing. With no words being exchanged but we're able to feel what's being expressed through our movements. I have no doubt that by the end of all this, we're going to blow the public's mind!"

Mina couldn't help but gaze at the other endearingly at the excitement, confidence, and determination shining in Momo's eyes. She admired Momo's passion in dancing and her drive to create and bring her vision to life. 

_To think this amazing girl was hiding behind a thick pair of classes and well-portrayed façade… How wrong was I to judge her so quickly?_

After clearing her throat, Mina spoke up. "I take it the next step is you showing me your skills?"

"Nope!" The answer was so confident and absolute, it was almost difficult for Mina to mask her disappointment. "That will be next week. For now, both our homework till next Saturday is to search for possible songs for the showcase. Then, we can share our playlists together and I'll show you what I can do."

"You don't want to take more time today to do all that? Wouldn't it be more productive if we do so?" Mina questioned with a furrowed brow.

"Well, we'd be sitting here on our phones browsing through Spotify for hours. I don't know about you but that's more of a waste of time. Waiting till next Saturday gives us a week to spread out our search. Besides, I know you have other commitments, Mina-chan. You're still the vice president of the student council, you have your studies to worry about, and on top of that, you told me you're still going to attend your ballet classes." Momo's expression softened as she looked at Mina. "You have a lot on your plate. The last thing I want to be is a burden to you.

Mina stepped closer and looked up at Momo with wide, earnest eyes. "You're not a burden to me at all. I chose to be your partner, Momo-kun, and I don't regret it."

Momo smiled warmly at her, relief evident on her expression and the tension released from her shoulders.

It was that moment Mina realized just how close she stepped towards Momo. It was reminiscent of the time she ran right into Momo the day she discovered Momo's glasses were fake. She was close enough to notice all the small details on Momo's face. The defined shape of her cheekbones. The gentleness in her eyes. The natural and welcoming temperament Momo exuded. The shape of Momo's lips―

To put it shortly and objectively, Momo was beautiful.

Mina swallowed thickly and stiffened when Momo placed her hand on her cheek. "Are you okay, Mina-chan? Your face is really red and your face feels hot."

If there was a moment Mina could control her body temperature, this was the moment, especially as she felt her cheeks flush hotter. "I think I'm overheating from dancing…"

Momo gazed at her a little longer then dropped her hand back to her side. "Drink some water. You didn't have to overdo it."

"S-Sorry…" Mina muttered and looked away, hiding behind her hair and silently praying for her cheeks' color to revert back to normal.

Momo giggled softly and shook her head. "Don't be sorry. Now, since we're finished for today, shall we go and grab a bite to eat? I think we deserve some good food after working so hard.”

“Could you remind me exactly what hard work you did today?” Mina quipped and gave Momo a playful shove with her shoulder.

“Hey! For your information, thinking and observing is very hard work,” Momo joked and lightly shoved back before putting an arm around Mina’s shoulder.

 

* * *

 

In the hallway, Mina lightly smacked the top of Momo's head with a file folder filled with graded assignments, frowning at the spectacled girl in disappointment. "Sunye sunsaengnim told me you haven't turned in the last two assignments. Why is that?"

Although it didn't hurt, Momo still rubbed her head and pouted. "Sorry… I've been preoccupied with other things."

The vice president knew what Momo was alluding to. "I'm aware you have interests outside of school. But you shouldn't allow that to completely distract you from your work," Mina scolded firmly. "There's no need to pursue excellence but at the very least, putting in effort is better than not trying at all."

Momo's shoulders sagged and hung her head in shame. "I understand. I'm sorry again."

Mina's thinned out lip softened into a smile. "As long as you promise to turn in your homework tomorrow. It's for your sake, not mine. I'm sure you don't want another earful from Sunye sunsaengnim."

"Not at all," Momo muttered and gulped.

 "Wonderful. Glad that's settled," Mina beamed. She thought the conversation was over when she noticed Momo looking hesitant. "Is something the matter?"

Momo scratched the back of her head. "E-Everything is fine."

"Momo-kun, you're a terrible liar."

Momo sighed and pulled out a small, folded note from her skirt pocket and handed it over to Mina. "I didn't want bother you and bring this up… but the more I thought about it, the more I realized you'd be upset if I did."

Mina gingerly unfolded the note and began reading it's contents. The author of the note was anonymous and wrote in great detail how annoyed they were at Momo for being so casual and "inconsiderate" towards Mina. The ridiculous accusations went on further saying Momo had no right to even speak to Mina, for Momo was nowhere near on the same level as the vice president. The more Mina read, the more she felt her annoyance rising.

Reading Mina's stiff and unpleased expression, Momo gave her an apologetic look. "It's dumb, I know."

"Incredibly dumb," Mina agreed and crumpled the note into a small ball. "Ignore it. There's no reason you should listen to what was written in that note." Mina noticed how disheartened Momo looked and placed a hand on her shoulder. "You know, you did nothing wrong, right? I may be labeled as 'popular' but before that, I am the vice president of the student council. Sana, Jihyo, and I want anyone from any group to be able to approach us without any worries or concerns of their social standing in this school." Mina scoffed. "I guess some girls here still have the same mentality as the previous representatives of the student council."

Taking a deep breath, Momo removed her fake glasses and looked at Mina with an intense stare. The removal of her glasses and the straightened posture reminded Mina how different the real Momo was to the act she put on in school. There was more confidence, more resolve, in the way Momo presented herself. Although at this moment, Momo appeared to be concerned.

"I know I didn't do anything wrong," Momo began. "There's nothing wrong with us talking when we're two girls in the same homeroom class and attending the same academy." Momo clenched her fist. "But I'm tired of people getting between us over stupid reasons like one of us is more popular than the other. At the dance studio. At school. Why can't people mind their own business?!"

Mina reached out to hold Momo's clenched fist and carefully unraveled and relaxed her hand, sandwiching Momo's hand between her own hands. "I understand how you feel. Believe me, I feel the same way. The whole situation is absurd, petty, and absolutely unnecessary." Mina let out a prolonged sigh. "But people's minds aren't changed so easily. That's the sad part. This silently established status quo is what separates all these girls from getting along and finding new friendships. Majority are too blinded by their desire to _be_ desired so they seek to boost their popularity."

"Well, I don't care about popularity at all!" Momo boldly declared. "The only thing that label brings to a person is fake friends, distrust, and unwanted attention." She exhaled loudly through her nose, pumped up with newfound adrenaline. "If I want to talk to you, or Sana, or Jihyo, I will do just that and won't feel guilty at all. And people have a problem with that, then I'll defend myself." Momo curled one hand into a fist and light punched the palm of her other hand.

"I agree to all of that except I hope you won't use violence. Besides, if it starts to get out of hand, I'd prefer it if you report it to the student council or a teacher," Mina reasoned. Then she smiled. "But please never feel afraid to talk to me. I enjoy talking to you, no matter how brief it may be here at school."

"You got it, Mina-chan! I really love to talk to you and you never fail to make my day.."

The words were unexpected that Mina was rendered speechless. It seemed that Momo didn't intend to blurt out what she said and fell quiet. A familiar warmth returned to Mina's cheeks, but this time, she wasn't alone.

Momo was also blushing, all the way to the tips of her ears.

Momo coughed loudly and turned her back to mind, fumbling to put her glasses back on. "A-Anyway! I got to go. I'll see you tomorrow, Mina-chan." With that said, Momo scurried away, leaving Mina to contemplate in the hallway alone.

"Bye, Momo-kun," Mina murmured to herself and placed a hand over her rapidly beating heart that felt like it was gradually increasing.

What was going on with her?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> It's been a VERY long time since I last updated this story. My drive to continue the story did die out for awhile when Twice came back with DTNA and YoY, but I promise I won't abandon this story. That being said, I can't promise consistent updates but I will try.
> 
> A mini side-story will be posted soon. Letting you all know in advance so you won't mistake the notification for another update.
> 
> Thank you to all the readers who have stuck by despite the horrendous long wait. You are the real ones.


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